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RacialStudies
Mygrouphasselectedracialstudiesforourextendedinquiryprojectthissemester.The
projectwillbefocusedonAfricanandWhiteAmericanracialissuesintheUnitedStatesfrom
the1950stonow.
Racismisstillprevalentintodayssociety,whileithastakendifferentformsitisstillan
issuefacingthenation.Sinceayoungagemyhistoryclasseshaveprovidedanoutlineofthe
majorracialissuesbetweenAfricanAmericansandWhiteAmericans.TakingAPU.SHistory
myjunioryeargavemethebestinsightintothehistoryoftheirrelationship.Duringthatcourse
wereadanddiscussedthecivilrightsmovementingreatdetail.TheBrownv.Boardof
Educationrulingwasakeyeventthathappenedintheearly1950s,therulingstatedthat
segregatedschoolsarenotequalandunconstitutional.ThisrulinghelpedtofueltheCivilRights
Movement,whichleadtomanychangesinthelevelsofequalitybetweenAfricanandWhite
Americans.TheVotingRightsactof1965bannedtheuseofteststodenyapersontherightto
vote.Fastforwardtonowandracismhastakendifferentforms.Whilewenowhaveequalityin
voting,education,andtheotheraspectsoflife,racismhastakentheforminhatecrimesand
socialmediapost.
Thetopicinparticularinterestmebecauseeveryonehasheardaboutracialissues
betweenAfricanandWhiteAmericansbutmanydontknowthatmuchaboutit.Theyhavea
shallowknowledgeonthesubject.Thistopicwillallowmetoresearchanddevelopabetter
understandingoftheracialissues.Iamalsointerestedinthechallengeofpresentingthe
informationmygroupandIfindonthistopic.TheareathatImfocusingonforthisprojectis

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howlocationanddemographicsplayapartinracialissues.FromthisprojectIhopetogaina
betterinsightandunderstandingontheracialissue.
Thereare3mainquestionsIhopetofindanswerstobytheendofthisproject.Thefirst
questioniswhatareasareracialissuesmostprevalentinandiftimehasaffectedit.Thesecond
questionisiflocationhasanaffectonhowtheracialissuesareportrayed.Lastly,Iwanttoseeif
socialmediaisusedasacatalystforracialissues.
Thebestplacetofindsomeoftheanswerstomyquestionwouldbelookingatdifferent
moviessuchasHairsprayandRemembertheTitans.HairsprayissetBaltimore,Marylandin
1962andshowsthefightagainstracialsegregation.RemembertheTitanstakesplacein
Alexandria,Virginiain1971andshowshowateamfightstoovercometheracialbarriersset
againstthem.ThebookToKillaMockingbirdcouldalsobeusedtohelpfindsomeanswers.
ThebookissetinafictiontowninAlabamaandwhilethetownandcharactersarefictionthe
storyiswrittenbasedonpersonalexperience.Thisstoryoutlinessomeoftheracialissues
betweenAfricanandWhiteAmericans.Italsoshowshowamanstoodupforracialequalityand
howthataffectedhowheandhisfamilyweretreated.AnothersourceIcouldusewouldbe
locatingopinionatedpieces,newsstories,orarticleoffthelibrarydatabasethattalkaboutthe
sameissuebutarewrittenindifferentareasofthecountry.Thiswouldallowmetocompareand
contrasthowdifferentracialissueareportrayedandreportedonbasedonthelocation.
Intheresultofourresearchbeingtoobroadandwehaveexcessamountsofinformation
wecannarrowourresultstoasmallertimeframe.Wecanlimitittoa15yearperiodorless,
allowingtheresearchtobemorefocused.Anothermethodofnarrowingourresearchwouldbe

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focusingsolelyonspecificracialissuesbetweenAfricanandWhiteAmericanssuchas:police
brutality,justice,economicorpoliticalequality,andetc.
Iftheresultsofourinitialresearcharetoonarrowandwedonthaveenoughinformation
togiveawellroundedandinformativepresentationonracialstudies,thetimeframecanbe
increasedtoexpandbeforethe1950s.Expandingtheparametersoftheprojectisanotheroption.
WecouldresearchracialissuesbetweenAfricanandWhiteAmericansindifferentcountries,or
notlimittheresearchtoonlyracialissuestoAfricanandWhiteAmericans.

Maybejustaddalittlebitofaconclusionsummarizingeverything